Company Notebook Departments

Company Notebook

Credit Union Unveils
New Brand ID
CHICOPEE — Alden Credit Union, formerly Aldenville Credit Union, has adopted a new brand identity and completed a major renovation of its main office. The credit union’s image makeover includes a new logo, new slogan — Banking. No Boundaries — and a new Web site. Although Alden’s core services and mission are not changing, the credit union has a renewed commitment to growing and serving an increasing number of members in Hampden and Hampshire counties, according to Alden President Adam Corcoran. He noted in a statement that the credit union remains an independent, nonprofit financial cooperative, owned and governed by its members. Corcoran added that the board of directors sought to modernize the credit union’s look and achieve differentiation from other area financial institutions. Alden’s main office, at 710 Grattan St., has been extensively renovated consistent with the new name and brand identity. Jos. Chapdelaine & Sons of East Longmeadow oversaw the renovation project. For more information on Alden Credit Union, visit
www.aldencu.com.

Columbia Gas Initiates Environmental Program; Partners with West Side on Project
WESTBOROUGH — Columbia Gas of Massachusetts recently announced an environmental initiative with the Nature Conservancy to support local projects. For each customer who enrolls in the Columbia Gas free direct e-bill paperless billing service between now and April 1, the company will contribute $10 to help the Nature Conservancy restore rivers for migratory fish in Southeastern Mass., and more natural water flows along the dammed waterways of the Connecticut River in Western Massachusetts. A check for the company’s contribution based on enrollment in the paperless billing service will be presented to the Massachusetts chapter of the Nature Conservancy on or before Earth Day, April 22. For more information, visit www.columbiagasma.com. In other company news, Columbia Gas recently announced its partnership with the city of West Springfield to look at energy-saving opportunities, particularly at West Springfield High School. The recently completed project invested in new, high-efficiency natural-gas boilers to replace the old, inefficient boilers. The new boilers are projected to significantly lower heating costs while maintaining a comfortable educational environment for the students, according to West Springfield Mayor Ed Gibson. Gibson noted in a statement that the project is estimated to save approximately $33,700 each year for the city, which represents an approximate savings of 27,000 therms annually. The annual energy saved from the single project is enough to heat approximately 33 homes for one year, added Gibson. Building on the success of the first project, Gibson and the city of West Springfield are working with TRANE (an energy-service company) to complete four additional school-building projects and a municipal office-building project. All five buildings are eligible to receive additional Columbia Gas incentives.

Elms Offers Sport Management Major
CHICOPEE — Beginning in the fall, Elms College will offer sport management as a full major. The revised program takes an interdisciplinary approach, combining coursework from accounting, management, marketing, law, coaching, psychology, and sociology with sports-management classes to deliver a unique and comprehensive curriculum. The blend of existing and new courses, and the inclusion of coaching courses in particular, set the program apart from its competitors, according to Elms College President Mary Reap, IHM, Ph.D., in a statement. The major also requires an internship. While the emphasis is on sport management, a 38-credit business core still serves as the foundation for the program, ensuring that students become proficient in the different functional areas of business. For more information, call the admission office at (413) 592-3189 or visit www.elms.edu/sportmanagement.

95,000 Pounds of Food Donated Through Big Y Program
SPRINGFIELD — In a chain-wide effort to help the hungry within their local communities, all Big Y Supermarkets initiated a Sack Hunger campaign during the holidays, which netted 95,000 pounds of food. More than 8,000 Big Y bags of food were recently distributed to area soup kitchens, food pantries, senior food programs, day-care centers and other agencies, according to Big Y President and COO Charles D’Amour. The program consisted of a large, green, reusable grocery bag filled with staple non-perishable food items selected by local food banks. The sacks included corn flakes, long-grain rice, elbow macaroni, kidney beans, peanut butter, cut green beans, sweet peas, whole-kernel corn, chunk light tuna, and quick oats. Big Y customers purchased the pre-assembled bags for $10 each, and then Big Y distributed the bags to each region’s local food bank for distribution to those in need. The campaign began Nov. 1 and ran through the end of 2010.

Holyoke Blue Sox Choose Design Group
HOLYOKE — The Wild Apple Design Group has been contracted by NECBL’s Holyoke Blue Sox to serve as its sales agency for all team promotional opportunities, according to Blue Sox owner Barry Wadsworth. The partnership will offer all-new, “exciting offerings” to businesses and fans, added Wadsworth. The Blue Sox will welcome fans to MacKenzie Stadium for a fourth season, playing 25 games in June and July. A not-for-profit team partially funded by Major League Baseball (MLB), the Blue Sox conduct educational school tours that promote great work ethics, fitness, and team play. Drawn from the top college programs in the country, many Blue Sox players are drafted into MLB teams, including the Red Sox, White Sox, Brewers, Nationals, Braves, Blue Jays, Tigers, Angels, and Mariners. Wild Apple Design Group is marketer and publisher of Town Planner, Your Community Calendar, which marks its 25th anniversary this year.

Amherst Firm Receives Honor Award
AMHERST — Kuhn Riddle Architects (KRA) has received the 2010 Honor Award from the Western Massachusetts American Institute of Architects for its ‘Meadow House.’ The award recognizes excellence in design and considers submissions by architects throughout Western Mass. Meadow House is a design for a group of sustainable homes on a rural site in Hadley. The single-story houses are 2,000 square feet with three bedrooms and an open floor plan. Jurors called the project “beautifully restrained,” noting that it revealed a “clarity, simplicity, and depth of understanding of the space.” The project’s site strategy was praised for “claiming the site without dominating it.” Two other KRA projects were recognized at the awards ceremony in December. KRA’s ‘Stanley Street Houses,’ which are featured in a recently published book on pro-bono projects, received a Special Mention Award. Jurors praised the way the project challenged the idea of what a Habitat for Humanity house can be while maintaining a clear connection to vernacular references. Also, the Ken Burns Wing of the Jerome Liebling Center was one of three projects recognized as a finalist. Jurors noted the successful way that the new addition both harmonizes and contrasts with the existing building.